Cirsium Eriophorum

With an impressive reddish-purple flower head 7cm across with woolly-haired bracts, the "Woolly thistle" is our tallest, most impressive, and indeed the rarest UK native thistle, displaying from July to September. It is perfect for a mid-border statement when its bold stature will also benefit the host of pollinating bees and other insects that love its rich nectar.